§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was paid in each of the last two years to outside evaluators of the United Kingdom's aid programme.
§ Mrs. ChalkerPayment to external evaluators by the evaluation department amounted to £277,930 in 1989 and £216,169 in 1990.
§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made with other aid donors in agreeing economic and social indicators against which the progress of aid projects could be judged.
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§ Mrs. ChalkerThere is broad agreement among donors about the economic and social indicators which reflect quality of life in developing countries and those which might appropriately be used to judge the success of particular projects. However, there has been less progress in agreeing the use of specific quantitative economic and social performance measures that might be used as part of the aid co-ordination process between a recipient government and donors collectively.
§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Monklands, West on 21 January,Official Report, column 39, he will name those outside evaluators used to study the effectiveness of particular aspects of the United Kingdom's aid programme in the last two years.
§ Mrs. Chalker[holding answer 31 January 1991]: The following evaluators were used by our evaluation department in 1989 and 1990:
Mr. T. Anderson Dr. S. Ladbury Mr. G. Armstrong Mr. C. Lane Mr. S. Aicester Mr. R. Lattimer Mr. A. Airey Mr. R. Limbrey Dr. R. Bailey Mr. G. McGilvary Mr. A. Barnett Mr. P. McLean Mr. B. Barrett Mr. R. Moberley Mr. R. Beales Mr. G. Munday Ms. D. Bryceson Mr. N. Mutter Mr. E. Burr Prof. E. Naylor Ms. C. Cassals Mr. A. Palfreman Mr. M. Chand Mr. J. Pickford Mr. G. Clarke Mr. D. Potten Mr. J. Cusworth Mr. J. Quelch-Wools Mr. T. Duncan Dr. J. Redhead Mr. J. Eaton Mr. J. Roberts Mr. M. Felton Mr. M. Segall Mr. M. Flint Mr. D. Shields Ms. L. Gardiner Mr. I. Smout Mr. F. Greig Mr. D. Stied( Mr. J. Groves Dr. R. Stirrat Dr. P. Hall Dr. P. Street Mr. P. Hardcastle Ms. N. Thandon Mr. P. Harding Dr. A. Taylor Mr. D. Harkin Mr. R. Thompson Mr. P. Harris Mr. A. Tomowski Dr. M. Harrison Mr. A. Wall Prof. C. Hassal Mr. D. Watson Mr. A. Holt Mr. A. Wearing Mr. P. Howgate Mr. E. Weatherhead Mr. J. Howe Mr. R. Wedderburn Ms. J. Johnson Dr. C. Weir Dr. D. Jones Mr. R. Wilson Ms. S. Jones Mr. J. Winpenny Mr. P. Kennard Mr. S. Zadek
§ Mr. Tom ClarkeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criticism he has received over the past three years from outside evaluators used to study the overall effectiveness of the United Kingdom aid programme; and what was the action taken.
§ Mrs. Chalker[holding answer 31 January 1991]: The findings of around 50 evaluation studies completed over the last three years are too numerous and detailed to list.
Evaluation reports, or the synthesis studies based on them, are considered by the ODA projects and evaluation committee. They are summarised in evaluation abstracts EVSUMS and circulated to all operational staff so that the lessons learned can be applied to future aid activities. Consideration is also given to whether ODA procedures should be changed in the light of the findings in order to 18W improve aid effectiveness. The catalogue of evaluation studies and the collection of EVSUMS are available in the House of Commons Library.